Nowadays, there are more and more elderly people in the swimming community, some of whom are even winter swimming enthusiasts. Swimming is beneficial for older people to enhance their physical fitness. However, considering that their physical condition is different from that of younger people, we cannot neglect the precautions for swimming in the elderly.
Health check before swimming
Elderly people should remember to undergo a health check before swimming. Before starting swimming or increasing the intensity of exercise, it is necessary to undergo a medical examination to prevent accidents during swimming.
Preparation activities before getting into the water
The older a person gets, the more important the preparation activities before exercise become. Appropriate preparation can increase the excitability of the cerebral cortex and muscles, protect the heart, muscles, and joints, and prepare all organs of the body for swimming to avoid or reduce the occurrence of muscle cramps or strains.
Not suitable to swim immediately after a meal
It is not advisable to swim immediately after a meal. It is best to schedule swimming time one and a half hours after a meal. After a meal, the digestive organs are concentrated in digesting food, and the slow intestinal motility of the elderly will reduce the blood supply and secretion of digestive juices if they swim immediately after a meal. This can affect digestion function and cause symptoms such as abdominal pain.
Avoid excessive exercise intensity while swimming
The contractility of the myocardium in middle-aged and elderly people weakens, the elasticity of blood vessel walls decreases, the lumen narrows, and blood resistance increases, increasing the burden on the heart. In addition, the respiratory system function weakens, and lung capacity and ventilation volume decrease, resulting in insufficient oxygen supply. Fast swimming increases oxygen consumption, which can easily lead to hypoxia and fainting. This is especially true for patients with heart disease and hypertension, as fast swimming can cause sudden increases in pulse rate and blood pressure and accidents.
Avoid diving exercises
The respiratory muscle strength of the elderly weakens, the fibrous connective tissue in the lungs increases, and the elasticity of the alveoli decreases. If the breath-holding time is long during diving, it can easily damage the respiratory muscles and cause bronchial bleeding or cerebral hypoxia and coma.
Avoid swimming immediately after intense exercise
After participating in intense exercise, it is not advisable to swim immediately. After intense exercise, the body temperature increases, and the sweat on the body has not completely dried. If you immediately swim in water with a large temperature difference, it will cause strong cold stimulation to the body, leading to colds or leg cramps. You should rest for a while until your body temperature returns to normal before swimming.
Gradually increase the amount of exercise
The amount of exercise for each swimming session should be moderate. When starting swimming, the amount of exercise should be small, just enough to feel slightly tired. After persisting for a period of time and no longer feeling very tired, gradually increase the amount of exercise. If the adaptability gradually improves, it means that physical fitness is gradually improving.
